The biggest ever cruise ship to set sail on the open seas embarked on its maiden passenger voyage from Barcelona over the weekend. The Symphony of the Seas departed for a five-night taster cruise to Italy with ports-of-call at Civitavecchia, near Rome, and Naples.
The Symphony of the Seas is the newest addition to the elite Royal Caribbean Oasis class vessels. She weighs in at 206,912-tonnes and has a maximum capacity of 6,680 passengers and 2,200 crew.
The Symphony outweighs sister Oasis vessel Harmony of the Seas by 1,000 tonnes and can accommodate an extra 1,000 plus passengers. Symphony was built at a shipyard in St Nazaire. Her keel was laid in late 2015 and construction took nearly three years.
Royal Caribbean took delivery late last month. On the last day of the month, a select group of passengers took a preview tour. The weekend sailing was the maiden one on a fully fledged voyage for paying passengers.
Like Harmony of the Seas, Symphony is designed to cater to those who enjoy floating mega-resorts with multiple leisure and entertainment options. In addition to the standard features of the other Oasis ships, Symphony boasts a seafood eatery, an amusement centre and various new rides.
Other signature Symphony experiences and amenities include a scintillating nine-deck zipline ride, a surfing simulator and the Splashaway Bay water park for children. Wining and dining choices are no less diversified and the likes of the Bionic robot bar, Izumi, Giovanni’s and Johnny Rockets diner will satisfy all tastes.